Activist, folk punk Artist Ryan Harvey to play at Warren Wilson and Firestorm

Michael Robinson reports in the Warren Wilson Echo: When I first heard it a couple years ago, Ryan Harvey’s music politicized me. Ryan has been a member of the Riot Folk Collective, an anti-profit mutual-aid collective of radical artists and musicians, since it initially began in 2004…. Ryan will be touring the Southeast in February […]

Ashvegas: Exec with Asheville Area Center for the Performing Arts got $217K salary in 2009-‘10

Ashvegas reports on the remuneration for the executive director of the group that aims to build a multimillion-dollar center near city hall: One of the highest paid arts professionals in Asheville got a raise in the 2009-’10 tax year, according to tax records, although the project remains far from completion. James Baudoin, executive director of […]

Moffitt says legislative demands kept him away from LWV water meeting

Asheville Citizen-Times reports: Moffitt said Tuesday he wanted to attend [the Feb. 13 League of Women Voters public forum on the state House committee evaluations of a plan that might seize Asheville’s drinking water system], but legislative work on groundwater contamination issues was scheduled at the same time in Raleigh. That work had to do […]

Progress Energy urges stiffer penalties for Greenpeace action

Hendersonville Times-News reports: …“We believe the laws and regulations need to be a stronger deterrent … [Greenpeace’s] actions jeopardized a vital part of infrastructure that serves 160,000 in Western North Carolina,” said Martha Thompson, Progress Energy manager of community relations for the western region. However, Greenpeace Media Officer Keiller MacDuff said the group’s efforts to […]

North Carolina Brewers Guild names Win Bassett as new executive director

The NC Brewers Guild announces: Feb. 13, 2012—Win Bassett, an attorney, writer and North Carolina beer advocate, has been named the new Executive Director of the North Carolina Brewers Guild <http://ncbeer.org> . He will assume duties of the position today, February 13, 2012. Bassett is contributing writer and education coordinator for All About Beer <http://allaboutbeer.org> […]

NCpedia gets 24,000 more articles

N.C. Department of Cultural Resources announces: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Linda A. Carlisle today unveiled a partnership between the State Library of North Carolina and UNC Press to make the six volumes of the “Dictionary of North Carolina Biography” and the “Encyclopedia of North Carolina,” some 24,000 articles in all, available as […]

New edition of “A History of African Americans in North Carolina” now available

The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources announces: RALEIGH – A new, revised edition of “A History of African Americans in North Carolina” is now available from the Historical Publications Section of the N.C. Office of Archives and History. The volume covers more than 400 years from the colonial period through the early 21st century. […]

Locals raising funds for drought-imperiled legendary Tarahumara racers of Mexico

Sports Illustrated online has a short piece about Asheville locals Will Harlan and Mickey Mahaffey, who have been, of late, raising funds for the Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyons, in Mexico. The Tarahumara, who are world-famous long-distance runners, are facing a severe drought this season. After trekking from his North Carolina home to Mexico’s […]

Amazing journey: How microbrewery icon Grossman landed in WNC

Hendersonville Times-News’ Gary Glancy looks how Ken Grossman grew his dream into reality: From young homebrewer to industry icon, it seems fitting that Ken Grossman’s amazing life journey has led his Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. to the mountains of Western North Carolina. It’s the kind of story that resonates in southern Appalachian culture — a […]

Avery County cycling incident: Car swerved to hit cyclist, says coach

Avery Journal reports: While cycling with six other LMC cyclists, Michael Rozelle was struck by a car on Hickory Nut Gap Road on Friday, Jan. 20. Rozelle was not seriously injured, but the incident left the cyclists shaken because they were left with distinct impression that the car had intentionally swerved into the oncoming lane […]

NC DOT awards contracts worth $12.8 million to resurface Jackson County highways

The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently awarded 39 contracts totaling $203.2 million for highway and bridge projects across the state. Among them are: • a contract to resurface 3.5 miles of U.S. 23/441 in Jackson County. The section to be resurfaced extends from Grasshopper Road near Dillsboro to Tatham Road in Savannah. The $5.6 […]

WCU African American Heritage Festival begins Monday

Western Carolina University announces: Western Carolina University’s Department of Intercultural Affairs will host an African American Heritage Festival in honor of Black History Month in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center from Monday, Feb. 6, through Wednesday, Feb. 8. On Feb. 6, events include a Langston Hughes lecture sponsored by the English and history […]

USDA Announces Restoration Projects, $605,000 included for Grandfather Ranger District

USDA announces: As part of an accelerated restoration strategy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $40 million in funding for 20 forest and watershed restoration projects nationwide for the upcoming year.   The funding includes ten new projects under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program, continued funding for the original 10 projects selected under […]